To implement the "Several Policy Measures on Promoting the Expansion, Stabilization, and Quality Improvement of Foreign Investment with a Focus on Manufacturing," jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and five other ministries, and to better leverage the role of foreign investment in promoting the city’s manufacturing-driven development, the following specific measures are hereby established.

    I. Optimizing the Investment Environment and Expanding Foreign Investment Inflows

(1) Implement the Negative List for Foreign Investment Access and Broaden the Scope of Foreign Investment

Taking the opportunity presented by the 2021 edition of the Negative List for Foreign Investment Access, which further and orderly relaxes restrictions on sectors and equity ratios for foreign investment, we will promote investment attraction in sectors where restrictions have been eased, such as the manufacturing of complete passenger vehicles. We will also provide relevant management and services for domestic enterprises engaged in businesses prohibited under the Negative List that issue shares overseas and list them for trading. By seizing the window of opportunity presented by these policy relaxations, we will translate these policies into tangible, implemented projects.(Lead Agencies: Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Municipal Development and Reform Commission) Foreign investors or foreign-invested enterprises investing in sectors outside the negative list shall be registered in accordance with the principle of equal treatment for domestic and foreign capital. Where the competent industry authorities have already lawfully approved relevant business operation permits prior to registration, the registration authority need not conduct duplicate reviews regarding compliance with the conditions specified in the negative list. Thoroughly eliminate restrictive measures outside the negative list.(Lead Agencies: Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Market Regulation Commission)

(2) Implement National Treatment Post-Market Access to High Standards and Protect the Legitimate Rights and Interests of Foreign Investors

Ensure that foreign-invested enterprises enjoy equal access to various support policies and equal treatment in accordance with laws and regulations. All districts must maintain policy continuity and stability, strictly honor policy commitments made to foreign investors and foreign-invested enterprises in accordance with the law, and conscientiously fulfill all contracts signed in accordance with the law during investment promotion activities.(Lead Agencies: People’s Governments of All Districts) Improve the management and services for foreign-invested projects. When enterprises apply for administrative permits, simultaneously provide them with policy packages regarding tax exemption confirmation and fiscal interest subsidies for encouraged foreign investment projects, thereby enhancing the convenience for enterprises to access these policies.(Lead Agency: Municipal Development and Reform Commission) Implement tolerant and prudent regulation and flexible law enforcement in accordance with the law in areas such as safety supervision, market regulation, and tax audits, and increase routine notifications and guidance training. (Lead Agencies: Municipal Emergency Management Bureau, Municipal Market Regulation Commission, Tianjin Tax Bureau) Ensure the efficient operation of the joint conference mechanism for the protection of foreign investors’ rights and interests and the foreign investment complaint handling mechanism, and protect the legitimate rights and interests of foreign investors in accordance with laws and regulations. (Lead Agency: Municipal Commerce Bureau)

    (3) Strengthen Coordination and Services for Key Projects to Accelerate Project Signing, Implementation, and Production

Conduct regular coordination, promotion, and review/analysis sessions. Establish a list of key foreign investment projects under the “Three Batches” initiative, categorize and coordinate projects under negotiation, those that have been established, and those that have commenced production, clearly designate responsible units and individuals, and implement full-cycle service management for projects. Identify landmark major foreign investment projects in the manufacturing sector that can generate investment within the current year, accelerate their implementation, and fully leverage their role as a cornerstone in supporting the city’s foreign investment utilization.Ensure the efficient operation of the city’s task forces for key foreign investment projects and for serving foreign-invested enterprises. Strengthen coordination with the national task force mechanism for major and key foreign investment projects. As needed, request guidance or coordination at the national level to resolve issues related to planning, approvals, land and maritime use, and environmental impact assessments, thereby facilitating the swift implementation and early commencement of projects. (Lead Agencies: Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, Municipal Council for the Promotion of International Trade)

    (4) Improve the Convenience of Land Supply and Efficiently Ensure Project Land Allocation

Develop a menu of land supply options for industrial projects to provide foreign-invested enterprises with more open, transparent, and convenient choices for land use. Ensure full land supply for foreign-invested projects that make intensive use of land and have been identified as falling under the national list of encouraged industries. For key foreign-invested projects that have signed investment agreements but have not yet been implemented, support enterprises with intended land use in carrying out planning and preparation work in advance, and promote the implementation of supporting policies such as land allocation quotas.(Lead Agencies: Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau, Municipal Commerce Bureau, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology; District People’s Governments)

(5) Conduct international industrial investment cooperation activities and enrich investment promotion mechanisms

Effectively organize and implement major international exchange events such as the World Intelligence Congress, the World Economic Forum, and the Tianjin-Italy SME Economic and Trade Investment Matchmaking Conference. Regularly hold government-enterprise liaison meetings for foreign-invested enterprises and roundtable discussions with multinational corporations to strengthen in-depth engagement and targeted communication with foreign-invested enterprises. Fully leverage the roles of international sister cities, the New Tianjin Council, and the China-EU Regional Policy Cooperation Mechanism. Improve regular communication and liaison mechanisms with business associations from key countries and regions operating in Tianjin to carry out more in-depth and practical exchanges and cooperation.(Lead Agencies: Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Foreign Affairs Office)

    (6) Utilize International Investment Public Service Platforms to Conduct Targeted Investment Promotion

Organize delegations to participate in national-level economic and trade exchange events such as the China International Investment and Trade Fair, the China International Fair for Trade in Services, and the China International Import Expo, as well as relevant international exhibitions. Actively organize local events such as the International Shipping Industry Expo to strengthen the investment promotion functions of these exhibitions.Focusing on key sectors such as ports and shipping, as well as key industries including smart technology, biopharmaceuticals, new energy, new materials, equipment manufacturing, automobiles, petrochemicals, and aerospace, we will intensify efforts to invite multinational corporations and leverage exhibitions to conduct targeted investment promotion. (Lead Agencies: Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Municipal Commission of Transport, Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology)

(7) Improve the Investment Promotion Mechanism to Enhance the Quality and Efficiency of Foreign Investment Attraction

Improve the evaluation and assessment system for foreign investment promotion, emphasizing the scale, quality, and benefits of investment attraction to ensure that investment projects are quickly converted into tangible outcomes such as industrial output value, retail sales, tax revenue, foreign trade, and employment growth. Refine market-oriented compensation and evaluation mechanisms to build a professional team dedicated to attracting foreign investment.Support all districts in increasing incentives for socialized investment promotion, and provide rewards to organizations or individuals who successfully introduce Fortune Global 500 companies or investment projects with a certain level of fixed-asset investment and comprehensive economic contribution. Establish a platform for foreign-invested enterprises to connect with the city’s key industrial chains, promote local procurement, and continuously improve the local supply chain coverage rate. Actively coordinate and resolve issues related to supply chains, markets, financing, and labor for foreign-invested manufacturing entities as a key focus of investment promotion.Establish a profit-sharing mechanism to promote cross-district cooperation in investment promotion. Encourage districts to strengthen resource sharing and coordinated collaboration. Districts that share high-quality investment leads, provide matchmaking services, and facilitate the establishment of foreign investment projects will be granted a share of the benefits, thereby fostering a cohesive, integrated approach to investment promotion. (Lead Agencies: Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Municipal Finance Bureau, Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology; All District People’s Governments)

II. Strengthen Investment Services and Support the Development of Foreign-Invested Enterprises

    (8) Facilitate the Movement of International Business Personnel and Enhance the Effectiveness of Investment and Trade Matchmaking

    Timely implement the latest national policies on epidemic prevention and control, further facilitate the travel of key overseas business personnel and their families, and provide corresponding visa conveniences. Support chambers of commerce in providing organizational and coordination services to member enterprises in areas such as foreign affairs approvals, visa services, organizing group participation in exhibitions, and flight arrangements. (Lead agencies: Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Municipal Foreign Affairs Office, Municipal Public Security Bureau, Municipal Commission of Transport)

(9) Strengthen the Smooth Flow of Freight Logistics to Stabilize Enterprise Operations

Optimize the route network layout of the Port of Tianjin, strengthen the port’s feeder transport system, further enhance port and shipping service capabilities, and ensure that port freight volumes return to pre-pandemic levels as soon as possible. Strengthen emergency transport capacity reserves, maintain a state of readiness, and ensure the smooth and orderly transport of key materials in emergencies. Strengthen monitoring of the expressway network’s operation, promptly alleviate traffic congestion, and ensure the network remains unobstructed.(Lead Agency: Municipal Commission of Transport) Implement the “whitelist” system for industrial enterprises in key industrial and supply chains, further strengthen service support for foreign-invested manufacturing enterprises, and improve the efficiency and quality of services regarding employee return-to-work, product transportation, and supply chain smoothness to effectively stabilize enterprise production and operations. (Lead Agencies: Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Municipal Development and Reform Commission)

(10) Provide diversified financial support and strengthen financing services

Support eligible foreign-invested enterprises in listing on domestic stock exchanges. Support the use of the bond market to expand direct financing channels, and guide financial institutions with underwriting qualifications to assist relevant foreign-invested enterprises in issuing bonds for financing. Organize applications for preferential loans from international organizations and foreign governments that feature long repayment terms, low interest rates, and high added value.Make full use of the “Financial Convenience Store” for industrial chains to provide convenient services to foreign-invested enterprises across our city’s 12 key industrial chains. Establish a regular mechanism for government, financial institutions, and project financing to connect, hold regular “bank-enterprise matching” events, and enhance information sharing with various banks regarding foreign-invested manufacturing enterprises and projects to better facilitate financing connections. Strengthen cooperation with Qualified Foreign Limited Partner (QFLP) pilot enterprises to establish a market-oriented, internationalized project attraction, investment, and financing service system.(Lead Agencies: Municipal Financial Bureau, People’s Bank of China Tianjin Branch, Tianjin Banking and Insurance Regulatory Bureau, Tianjin Securities Regulatory Bureau, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Commerce Bureau, Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau)

(11) Enhance the Level of Trade and Investment Facilitation and Reduce the Cost of Capital Use        

Improve the convenience of cross-border RMB settlement for trade and investment by foreign-invested enterprises. Implement new measures to facilitate offshore international trade settlement. Simplify overseas financing procedures for non-financial foreign-invested enterprises. Support high-quality foreign-invested enterprises in independently borrowing foreign debt. Facilitate the use of foreign exchange loans to purchase foreign currency for debt repayment. (Lead agencies: Tianjin Branch of the People’s Bank of China, Municipal Financial Bureau)

   (12) Encourage profit reinvestment by foreign-invested enterprises and promote the transformation and upgrading of foreign investment

Effectively implement policies such as the temporary exemption from withholding tax on direct investments made by overseas investors using distributed profits. Encourage existing foreign-invested enterprises to further increase capital and expand production through profit reinvestment. Conduct targeted publicity and guidance, provide convenient tax filing services, and ensure that eligible enterprises fully enjoy the benefits.(Lead Agency: Municipal Taxation Bureau) Implement the city’s measures to promote investment attraction, providing a comprehensive package of support policies for new domestic investments and reinvestments by foreign-invested enterprises. (Lead Agencies: Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Office of Cooperation and Exchange, Municipal Commerce Bureau, and district people’s governments)

(13) Leverage RCEP Rules to Promote Imports and Exports by Foreign-Invested Manufacturing Enterprises

    Implement the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) effectively. Launch tariff inquiry and consultation services targeting RCEP member markets, organize specialized RCEP training sessions, and compile an RCEP application guide. Guide enterprises to leverage tariff differentials as a “focal point” for expanding into RCEP member markets, thereby increasing export revenue and enhancing their competitive edge and internationalization.Provide services for the issuance of various preferential and non-preferential certificates of origin. Offer services and guidance to foreign-invested manufacturing enterprises regarding free trade agreements, trade clearance, and trade remedies. (Lead agencies: Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Tianjin Customs, Municipal Council for the Promotion of International Trade)

III. Guide Investment Directions and Enhance the Quality of Foreign Investment

    (14) Strengthen Investment Promotion and Policy Guidance to Optimize the Structure of Foreign Investment

    In the advanced manufacturing and high-tech sectors, prioritize attracting foreign investment in high-end equipment, basic components, and critical parts. In the modern service sector, prioritize attracting foreign investment in R&D and design, modern logistics, and business services. In the energy conservation and environmental protection sectors, prioritize attracting foreign investment in new energy, as well as innovation and demonstration applications of key green and low-carbon technologies.Implement the "Catalogue of Industries Encouraging Foreign Investment" (2022 Edition). For newly added end products such as aviation ground support equipment, glow discharge mass spectrometers, transmission electron microscopes, and industrial water-saving equipment; components such as shield machine bearings, key components related to autonomous driving, and high-performance light metals; new materials such as high-purity electronic chemicals, high-performance coatings, and organic polymer materials; and advanced system integration technologies and services for low-carbon, environmentally friendly, green, energy-saving, and water-saving applications,environmentally friendly technology development and application, design and R&D of offshore wind power equipment and marine new energy equipment, and recycling and treatment of decommissioned wind turbine blades and discarded photovoltaic modules. We will effectively implement supporting policies for the Catalogue of Industries Encouraging Foreign Investment to ensure that eligible foreign-invested projects and enterprises enjoy preferential policies such as tax exemptions for imported equipment for self-use, interest subsidies, and priority land allocation for industrial projects.(Lead Agencies: Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Tianjin Customs, Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, and district people’s governments)

    (15) Encourage foreign-invested enterprises to establish R&D centers and headquarters in Tianjin, and support their innovative development

We will continue to fully utilize the tax exemption policy for imported R&D supplies for foreign-invested R&D centers, encourage foreign-invested enterprises to establish R&D centers in Tianjin, and deepen open cooperation in science and technology. We will encourage foreign-invested R&D centers to build national or municipal-level enterprise technology centers and participate on an equal footing in government-sponsored research projects under the “open competition” model. We will support foreign-invested enterprises in undertaking national science and technology programs and attracting world-class talent teams. We will innovate the recognition mechanism for foreign talent and provide one-stop services for work residence permits, while exploring the recognition of overseas professional qualifications within the pilot free trade zone.Encourage foreign-invested enterprises to build smart manufacturing demonstration factories and participate in the development of national new industrialization demonstration bases and advanced manufacturing clusters. Make full use of the city’s policies for recognizing and supporting multinational corporate headquarters, and encourage regional headquarters and headquarters-type institutions in Tianjin to grow, expand their functions, and enhance their capabilities. (Lead Agencies: Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology, Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, Municipal Bureau of Human Resources and Social Security, Municipal Foreign Affairs Office)

    (16) Accelerate the Green and Low-Carbon Transformation of Foreign-Invested Enterprises to Enhance Product Competitiveness in International Markets

    Support foreign-invested enterprises in participating in our city’s carbon peaking and carbon neutrality strategy. Provide guidance and services to a group of key foreign-invested manufacturing enterprises to refine their low-carbon development implementation plans and actively seek inclusion in national green and low-carbon best-practice case studies. Support foreign-invested enterprises in developing green products, building green factories, and establishing green supply chains. Expand the scale of green electricity and encourage enterprises to actively develop new energy projects such as distributed photovoltaic systems to meet the green energy needs of foreign-invested manufacturing enterprises.(Lead Agencies: Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau, Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau)

(17) Strengthen cooperation with central and western regions to promote coordinated regional development

Encourage our city’s national-level economic and technological development zones to engage in cooperative development with economic and technological development zones in central and western regions, and guide foreign-invested manufacturing enterprises within these zones to strengthen cooperation with their paired regions. (Lead Agencies: Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Municipal Development and Reform Commission)

All relevant departments and districts must attach great importance to this work, strengthen coordination, and effectively carry out tasks to expand foreign investment, stabilize existing investments, and improve investment quality. We must create a more optimized policy environment to stabilize expectations and boost confidence among foreign investors, promote high-quality development in foreign investment utilization, support foreign-invested enterprises in better integrating into the domestic economic cycle, and facilitate the dual circulation of the domestic and international economies. The Binhai New Area should organize its five major development zones to fully leverage their advantages, intensify efforts to attract investment, and enhance their role in driving the city’s efforts to stabilize foreign investment.